Monday, February 17, 2025

Southwest Airlines Partners with Girl Scouts San Diego to Empower Women

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Southwest Airlines is proud to celebrate women-focused nonprofit organizations that concentrate on important matters like women’s equality, education, leadership and confidence. Each year, Girl Scouts San Diego honors exemplary women whose personal and professional lives make them consummate role models for girls. Southwest Airlines is a supporter of Girl Scouts San Diego which inspires girls to chase their dreams and reach their full potential. Through our Community Outreach efforts, we have the privilege of giving back and help girls take flight in possibilities and soar to new heights.

Girl Scouts San Diego

For more than 100 years, Girl Scouts San Diego has been the premier organization for developing and elevating girl and women leaders. Beyond traditional leadership development, the relevant programs and experiences foster a sense of well-being in girls, so they are well-rounded individuals poised for success in life.

Today, the organization serves more than 15,000 girls and 8,000 adult volunteers throughout San Diego and Imperial counties. The council maintains program and service facilities in Balboa Park and Escondido, as well as two mountain camps in Julian.

Each Women’s History Month, Girl Scouts San Diego hosts its beloved luncheon the Cool Women Celebration, which honors five exemplary women whose personal and professional lives make them consummate role models for girls. These female leaders share the spotlight with Emerging Leader Girl Scouts (10th to 12th graders), who are recognized for their outstanding achievements by their mentors and community leaders. Now in its 24th year, 2025 Cool Women welcomes the largest class of Emerging Leader Girl Scouts and highest number of Cool Women nominees to date.

“This program helped me learn how to plan for the future and make the best of the present. I now feel more confident in myself and my goals!” said Theresa, a 2024 Emerging Leader Girl Scout.

The Cool Women Celebration and other Girl Scout San Diego signature events are made possible, thanks to generous donors and organizations like Southwest Airlines. Event proceeds support programs that empower Girl Scouts to develop a strong sense of self, step outside their comfort zones, use their voices, and build resilience.

On Friday, March 14, more than 600 local community members will gather at the iconic downtown Marriott Marquis for a one-of-a-kind luncheon and inspiring award ceremony. The afternoon will include mentoring opportunities, networking, and the chance to engage with the region’s next generation of leaders and movers.

“The Cool Women Luncheon is a celebration of leadership and community,” Natasha Bowman and Joyce Gattas, the 2025 Cool Women Celebration Co-Chairs shared with GB Magazine in San Diego. “This event is not just about recognizing accomplishments: it is about inspiring future change-makers and creating a last impact in San Diego. It is a moment to honor the trailblazing women among us, while also investing in the future by inspiring young women to lead with purpose and passion.”

Girl Scouts San Diego is proud to partner with Southwest Airlines. Since 2003, the award-winning airline has partnered with Girl Scouts San Diego to fund programming, camps, and signature events like Cool Women, which help build girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.

Through its financial investment and program support, Southwest Airlines continues to play a vital role in providing in-person collaborative environments for girls. At the Operation Wing Scout program aboard the U.S.S Midway, Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Girl Scouts learn about the science behind flight and different career paths in the aviation industry.

Thank you to Southwest Airlines for helping girls take flight in possibilities and soar to new heights!

Kayla Valencia
Kayla Valencia
As the newest member of the Southwest Airlines family, Kayla Valencia currently serves as the company’s Community Outreach Regional Manager, where she is tasked with positioning Southwest Airlines as a leading corporate citizen by empowering communities to thrive through strategic investments. “I have the pleasure of managing the nonprofit and chamber of commerce partners in California and the Pacific Northwest, and it has been such a treat to support the impactful work they do, especially in my own home state,” Kayla shared with GB Magazine. In her new role, she is most looking forward to being an engaged partner to the nonprofits and chambers of commerce that Southwest Airlines supports. There is a lot of opportunity to cross-collaborate across communities and amplify their work to broader audiences. She notes, “I am fortunate to be able to give back to the communities we live and work in with localized approaches and a people-first attitude.”

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